Taken from Channel News Asia

I’m kinda glad that my toastmaster friends managed to catch their flight early in the morning yesterday. However, one of my friend today was kinda unfortunate that the flight got postponed because of the volcanic ashes due to the eruption inside the crater of Mount Rinjani in Lombok.

I’ve always wanted to visit Lombok and I heard so many awesome things about Lombok especially the scenery. One day.. One day perhaps.. As for the weather in Bali, it’s kind scorching hot today, the hottest I’ve been in since Day 1 of my Bali trip. Yes, I’m still in Bali and taking time off and spending quality time on my own and just chiiillllll….

So let’s hope for the rest of other friends to arrive Bali tomorrow evening as the Bali airport will only reopen by 8:45am. Let’s hope no delays or flight disruptions. Have a great week, peeps!! And I can’t believe that 2015 is almost over.

Currently enjoying the heat in Bali and loving the t-shirt from toastmasters and the RB cap

  

A Suzki Celerio A+ is now on display in front of Concepts Computer’s (Concepts) showroom. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

Lim Tze Yang, marketing executive (Suzuki) Boustead Sdn Bhd, Crystal Celine, customer relations officer, Boustead Sdn Bhd, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, Pao Jia Wan, Concepts Business Development Executive and Zul Abdul Rahman, Concepts marketing executive. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

A Suzki Celerio A+ is now on display in front of Concepts Computer’s (Concepts) showroom.

The display was proudly revealed yesterday by the IT store’s General Manager Vincent Pao accompanied by Concepts Business Development Executive Pao Jia Wan and Marketing Executive Zul Abdul Rahman. Meanwhile, the sole agent for Suzuki in the nation, Boustead Sdn Bhd, was represented by its marketing executive Lim Tze Yang and its customer relations officer, Crystal Celine.

The model of the Japanese auto marks the ongoing collaborative promotion where for every purchase of the compact car, the new car owner will receive an Acer Iconia Tab 8W.

The promotion first began last month and is ongoing until end of year. It is also a way to reward customers and to promote the corporate image of both companies.

“Now with the display, Concepts customers are not only able to get a hands-on look of the Acer Iconia Tab 8W when they stop by the store, they are able to take a closer look at the Celerio A+ without going all the way to our showroom in Beribi,” said Boustead’s Marketing Executive Lim Tze Yang.
It was shared that the Suzuki Celerio is the latest model in the brand’s line up, which features design, style and practicality in one package. It is designed with the concept of ‘small on the outside, big on the inside’, offering ample room and storage space that belies its appearance.

Fuel efficiency is yet another selling point as this car can go up to 21.27km with every litre of petrol. The car is equipped with a 1.0 litre engine and is available in two transmissions: Manual Transmission (MT) and Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Meanwhile, the new Acer Iconia Tab 8W is equipped with the Windows 8.1 and a one-year subscription to Office 365. This enables users to combine work and play with a single device that is multi-functional.

Concepts General Manager Vincent Pao told The Brunei Times that the collaboration is a win-win situation for both companies. He further enlightened that the two products are similar in a way that both offer value for money.

For more information about the attractive promotion, head over to Concepts in Kiulap or the Suzuki Showroom in Beribi. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

 

Taking a sports coupe round a track with a professional driver, leisurely drives in the latest Audi vehicles, fun racing in a go-kart.. It was the kind of experience that some car aficionados can only dream about, but was brought to life by TCY Motors. For two days, TCY Motors Sdn Bhd took over the Jerudong Park Go-Kart Track and the “Pusing Lagi” car park to give customers, invited guests and members of the media a crack at the Second Audi Urban Driving Experience.

Based around safety and dynamic driving, the event allowed attendees to get behind the wheel of Audi vehicles and experience first hand the safety capabilities, and as well as give drivers some in-depth knowledge on safe but dynamic driving.

The programme featured instruction and demonstrations by professional driving instructors Nicolaas Smit from South Africa and Paul Morgan from Australia. Smit was a return instructor from last year’s inaugural event.

The day began with the Ride & Drive, featuring the Audi A5 Coupe, A7 Sportback A8L and the Q7. Participants took the vehicles for a leisurely drive on the road to experience the Audi Drive Select featured in all the high-end models and the feel of the handling differences of each car.

In the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) demo, drivers had to accelerate to 60Km/h and swerve to avoid obstacles. The demonstration taught drivers the effectiveness of the ESC system in an emergency maneuver.

The highlight of the day was the Track Experience on the main Go-Kart track where drivers where let loose in the all-new Audi TTS sports coupe, which boasts the latest in quattro all-wheel-drive technology and an output of 300 bhp.

TCY Motors hopes to make AUDE an annual event offering participants a unique unforgettable driving experience where they benefit from learning dynamic but safe driving and also get the first crack at the latest new models offered by the dealership.

 

The Second Colouring Competition for Adults organized by Mabohai Shopping Complex, in partnership with Best Eastern Bookstore and JoArt Gallery drew very talented participants on Sunday, 1st November 2015.

The competition, based on the new book “Lost Ocean” by Johanna Basford attracted 33 participants of a high level of technical and artistic capability, according to the team of judges. Targeted towards everyone above 18 years old, the competitors showed excellent colouring and blending skills.

Judges for the competition were Jojo Yim, Head of Jo Art Gallery, Nitisha Kashyap and Nabil Fikri Haronli, Art Instructors at Jo Art Gallery.

The following were the winners after a grueling round of judging by the panel of Judges provided by Jo Art Gallery.

1st Prize  – Wathiqah Khalidi won $200 worth of Gift Vouchers

2nd Prize  – Nur Liyana won $150 worth of Gift Vouchers

3rd Prize  – Robert John Mendoza $100 worth of Gift Vouchers

The winners of the Colouring Competition for Adults last Sunday

An additional 5 contestants were awarded consolation prizes of gift vouchers worth $50 each. All winners also received a copy of Millie Marotta’s ‘Tropical Paradise” colouring book and all prizes were sponsored by Best Eastern.

Ms Yee-Man Cheng, Manager of Mabohai Shopping Complex said:

“Congratulations to everyone who gave it their best and a special congratulations to the top winners of the competition for a job well done. We would like to thank Best Eastern & JoArt Gallery for partnering with Mabohai Shopping Complex in creating a challenging and rewarding event for all contestants. Special thanks go to Starbucks for keeping the contestants hydrated and refreshed with their newly launched beverages, the Duo Cocoa Mocha Frappuccino and Dark Caramel Frappuccino. We hope everyone had a wonderful afternoon of colouring and had a relaxing and enjoyable time with us.”

It’s happening again. The Korean Festival 2015 at Times Square Shopping Centre. from 6th 8th November 2015 and the problem is I won’t be there to witness the event since I will be away.

Basically this event is to promote the Korean culture and they will hold several key events, games, activities and performance group from Korea which are supported and co-organised by Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Korea Tourism Organisation and Times Square Shopping Centre.

For this upcoming festival, there will be a Korean Babbling Comedy, The Babbling Perfordian ONGALS’ and they will be coming to share contemporary Korea to Brunei. Awesome..

Even more, there will be Koren products – automobile showcase, Korean food and drinks and various cultural demonstrations during the festival. So book your date from 6th to 8th November.

You can also stand a chance to win two tickets to Seoul. Other prizes include electronic devices and vouchers from Korean restaurants. The lucky draw prize presentation will be held on the last day of the festival, November 8 at 8.30pm. For further information, call 2338208 or 2338006 during office hours. Good luck.

This Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm and Sunday 8pm

 

BIBD today announced new partners into the 2015 BIBD CE ALAF (Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future Programme). Fajr Capital (Dubai) and Silverlake (Malaysia) has come on board as Platinum Sponsors to the ALAF Programme, while Kristal FM and Radio Television Brunei have signed on as the Official Broadcaster Radio and Official Broadcaster Television partners to help raise awareness on CE ALAF as well as other efforts related to the event.

BIBD also welcomes new partners, Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (PCSB) who has agreed to contribute a one year subscription plan and a Vivo Y22 as a lucky draw prize, along with a co-branded runner t-shirts for the first one hundred participants who have raised at least B$100. At the same time, PCSB will also be providing support via providing volunteers for the ALAF event.

Happening this Sunday. Are you ready?

The Brunei Neuroscience Stroke Rehabilitation Centre (BNSRC) together with the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) are also on board as sound supporters of the programme whereby they will also be organizing the a Musical Broadway titled ‘Sebuah Perjalanan’ as part of the stroke and cancer patients’ Therapeutic Group Activity. Proceeds from tickets sales will be donated to the BIBD ALAF Program.

Meanwhile, as the Official Airline Partner, RB (Royal Brunei) will be providing a business class return ticket to Melbourne and Bangkok each for winners of the 21kM and 10km, Men and Women Bruneian category. BIBD also welcomes support from government agencies such as the Department of Electrical Services along with the Customs & Excise Department towards the Charity Expedition.

Yang Mulia Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, in her capacity as Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility commented “Alhamdulillah for the overwhelming support gained for not just the charity expedition, but also the ALAF programme. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, from all partners, volunteers and supporters for their kind support for the programme.

This is it!!! I’m looking forward to this but I’m not too sure if I have the time just yet. It’s happening this coming Saturday. This is a FREE workshop (Adult Colouring Workshop) for customers who purchase “LOST OCEAN” colouring book from any Best Eastern store in Brunei.

The seats are limited so it’s a good idea to register. The workshop will be conducted by full-time artists at Jo-Art Gallery – Nabil, Fikri and Haronli.

This will be the first time a colouring workshop will be held. It will be a comprehensive workshop ranging from the materials of the colour pencil to the techniques of colouring (shading, rendering, colour scheme, blending and even discipline.

The venue will be at Mabohai Shopping Complex this Saturday 24th October and it’s co-organised by Best Eastern and Jo-Art Gallery.

Oh one more thing, don’t forget that there will be another colouring competition for adults on 1st November. Sadly I won’t be in the country then. Let’s hope for more participants in the second round. Good luck!!

Acer Aspire V Nitro. Another end to end stuff from Concepts Computer who are one of the biggest vendors at the TechXpo 2015 happening today at the ICC until this coming Sunday.

There will be having many good promotions and firstly is the Aspire V Nitro notebooks. There are two specs of the Aspire V Nitro on promotion but the one that caught my eye is the Aspire V Nitro the “17 inch one because it’s fast and it’s quiet too. The attention to detail is just spot on for this version and they have many ports available. Check out the posters below for more details.

When you purchase any of the Aspire V Nitro, it will come with 3 years warranty and especially if you buy now (during the TechXpo,) you can save up to BND 400 and even get FREE gifts worth BND 200.

Acer projector. Now if you are looking for projectors, look no further. The prices now become affordable and it’s the newly improved Acer projector. This is ideal for presentation and also perhaps for your in-house theatre screen.

It carries a 2 year warranty and the lamp also has a 1 year warranty or 1,000 hours whichever comes first. It’s powered with 3,200 ANSI Lumens with HDMI port and dual-VGA. This BND 398 deal is also offered at TechXpo today till Sunday. So look out for the Acer P1185 or just check the poster below for more details.

Epson printers. For all the heavy duty printer users out there especially students and teachers, this is one of the fastest selling brand in Brunei – Epson – because of you all. If you want to talk about efficiency and also cost savings, then target for the Epson printers. These printers have high recommendation even among our peers (my media friends) who are also active users of Epson printers.

Imagine with just four colour ink bottles that you will be able to print up to 6,500 colour pages. Now that’s a plenty and I like the new concept of having the ink cartridge being placed outside the printer so it will be convenient should you want to refill.

It’s no surprise that Epson have sold 2 million units alone in Southeast Asia and Brunei is one of the growing market leader in terms of growth per capita. So do check out their Super Deals at TechXpo today till Sunday.

In collaboration with UnionPay, the fastest growing card brand in the world, Baiduri Bank is currently having a 3-month campaign where Baiduri UnionPay Debit Cardholders will earn freebies and stand a chance to win shopping sprees when they use their cards at participating outlets each weekend till December.

Aptly named “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card”, the promotion which started on 25 September 2015 will run every Friday to Sunday till 13 December 2015. During the promotion, Baiduri UnionPay debit cardholders will receive a free shopping bag when they spend a minimum of B$50 at participating supermarkets during the designated weekends, while stocks last.

The promotion will cover 14 different supermarket outlets, including supermarket chains Hua Ho, Soon Lee, Jaya Hypermart, Supa Save, Sim Kim Huat, Freshco, First Emporium and Utama Grand. Each weekend, a different outlet will be featured so that customers residing in the different districts will have a chance to participate.

Besides receiving shopping bags, shoppers also get a chance to win monthly shopping sprees worth B$150 each at selected supermarket throughout the campaign.

An Instagram competition is also being held back-to-back with the shopping campaign. Customers who post creative photos of themselves with the “Take Me Shopping with Baiduri Union Pay” shopping bag will get a chance to win shopping vouchers worth B$20 each week. Terms and conditions can be viewed on the Baiduri Bank website or through Baiduri Deals mobile app.

The “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card” campaign was organized to create public awareness on the card’s user-friendliness and other benefits of owning a Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card.

Unlike conventional signature-based payment cards, the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalized identification number or PIN to be keyed in by the cardholder for any transactions to be approved, thus, giving cardholders a high level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card. This unique feature also allows cardholders to use the debit card as an ATM card too.

The Baiduri UnionPay Debit card is accepted at over 2,000 local merchants and more than 26 million UnionPay merchants in over 150 countries and allows withdrawals at all Baiduri ATMs, other local ATMs, and over 1.9 million ATMs worldwide.

More information about Baiduri Bank’s current promotions can be obtained from the Bank’s website at www.baiduri.com, ‘Baiduri Deals’ mobile app or their Call Centre at 244 9666. To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

Review of The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials with special guest Seng Yee

Summer prediction results and Top summer movies of 2015 with co-host Del Goh

 

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (3rd R) speaking with Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim (L), as Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. His Majesty visited the newly renovated Brunei International Airport yesterday. He also took one of Royal Brunei Airlines’ Dreamliners for a spin. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.

Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar (L) hands over the cash prize of $7,000 to Institut Teknologi Brunei student Nurulhidayati Hj Mohd Sani (C) for winning the Tertiary Project Category of the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2015. Well done, ITB!! As for the ICT Industry Category, the first place went to D5 Innovation with BND 10,000 cash prize. Image courtesy of Abdul Aziz Ismail of The Brunei Times.

For the first time ever, there is a chance I will be joining this competition. Just for fun. Never knew they will have one for adults. This will be interesting indeed. Any takers (adults)? *lol*

Cooking competition coming up at Hua Ho Manggis Mall in conjunction with Hua Ho Health Awareness Month

The King Burger from Peppermint Cafe. I love the home made beef patties.

Congratulations to Progresif Cellular on the opening of their Seria Branch at Panaga. Image courtesy of @progresif_cellular

Now you can pre-order a copy of Yasmine. Too bad there won’t be a blu-ray copy.

I am so proud of my mentee, Heidi Rahman, who stole the show as the Toastmaster of the Evening last Tuesday. My biggest milestone to date as a toastmaster – to see other members grow especially my mentees. Keep it up, lady!!

@baiduribank updates breaks the ritual by getting out of the box. Something different coming from a bank.

Lunch treat by Winnie Sia and it was the first time I dined at Seafood Palace at Tanjung Bunut. Not bad the portion. Couldn’t finish my spaghetti.

Happening this Sunday at Fun Bee Park.

Dilys Chai and Denise Chai, co-owners of Rack & Brew

One word: Impressive. Congratulations to Dilys Chai and Denise Chai on the opening of your new cafe, Rack & Brew. Love the deco, love the atmosphere and most of all, love the food too. The cakes are amazing too – my personal favourite is the Red Velvet Cake.

The cafe is located above Paddington House of Pancake (Gadong) and the area used to be a boutique store (Deseo) and now the boutique store is located on the 2nd floor, just above Rack & Brew. You can follow @rackandbrew on instagram for updates.

According to Borneo Bulletin, Dilys Chai revealed that Rack & Brew was part of her dissertation project back in the UK. Dilys had some sampling of her desserts at Hua Ho Manggis Mall and the responses were pretty good.

Rack & Brew operates from 11am to 10pm daily at Abdul Razak Complex in Gadong. I’m definitely dining there next time.

Liking the atmosphere here at Rack & Brew

Soft shell crab florentine

Roulette Wings

I love their home made kolo mer

Hui Chiet love his dish. Not sure what it’s called.

My companions for lunch

Caramel latte

Jolene’s first time and she likes the cakes

My personal favourite – Red Velvet Cake

They have munchies such as nachos

Group photo with the media and the co-owners. Image courtesy of Kazimah (2nd from right)

Thank Denise for hosting the other day

Curry Pasta is not bad as well

Cakes, cakes and more cakes

I have yet to try the curry puff

This area is always busy as more customers trying out.

Associates from Concepts Computer and Boustead Sdn Bhd (Suzuki) holding an ACER Iconia Tab 8W. For those interested to buy a Suzuki Celerio A+, it now comes with the Acer tablet but for a limited time only.

The MoU signing last Wednesday at Concepts Computer conference room

This is the first time that Concepts Computer collaborated with Boustead Sdn Bhd in a joint promotion. For those interested in purchasing a Suzuki Celerio A+ from Boustead, then you will be entitled to receive a brand new Acer Iconia Tab 8W (from Concepts Computer).

This is another way to reward their loyal customers by giving an instant gift and also boost the image of both Boustead and Concepts Computer.

Just like the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, the Suzuki Celerio A+ has quality, reliability, durability and most important, affordability.

To the Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, this is a win-win situation for both companies and the joint promotion will be able also to attract new customers.

So what can you expect from a Suzuki Celerio A+? It has a 1.0 litre engine, comes in either MT or CVT, good storage space and also fuel efficient.

As for the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, it’s the top-selling tablet powered by Windows 8.1 and comes with Office 365 (one year subscription) and has a long battery life and one year warranty.

This promotion will start with immediate effect and is valid until December 31. Information about the latest joint promotion can be obtained at any Suzuki showroom or Concepts Computer showroom.

Suzuki will also be holding a roadshow at Citis Square from September 24 to 26, welcoming the public to stop by and try their luck with their ‘lucky dip’ activity.

Pao Jia Wan, Marketing Advisor of Concepts Computer, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, James Wong, Branch Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd and Alvin Kho, Marketing Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd

The group photo shot with the Suzuki Celerio A+ and the Acer Iconia Tab 8W

Members of the media

Check out the Suzuki Celerio A+